Police hail public response after bid to trace missing woman

POLICE searching a missing woman say they have received an encouraging response from members of the public following recent appeals.

West Lothian woman Heather McKay, 51, was last seen at her friend’s address in Craiglaw, Dechmont at around 7.30am on Friday August 24.

Last Friday, a week after her disappearance, officers from Lothian and Borders Police distributed thousands of leaflets and posters in the village and surrounding areas and spoke to commuters and parents dropping their children off at the local primary school.

Ms McKay’s children Andrea and Kevin Waddell and her sister Deirdre McKay also made an emotional appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

Police said since the appeals they had received more than 20 calls from people who believe they may have seen Ms McKay and officers are now following up a number of lines of enquiry.

Officers have also viewed over 100 hours of CCTV footage from around the time she went missing and over 100 statements have been taken.

Police said dozens of officers and members of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue had also been searching the surrounding areas to check for any traces of Ms McKay, who was known to be as keen walker and often hiked in the areas around Dechmont and Broxburn.

Community Inspector Neill Whiteside said: “The public response to our recent appeals has been fantastic, and has provided some vital information to assist us in our search for Heather.

“It is encouraging for the family to know so many people care about Heather’s well-being and desperately want to find her.

“Our investigations are continuing, and I would appeal to anyone who may recognise Heather’s description or who might have information about her whereabouts to come forward as soon as possible.”

Heather is described as around 5ft 7ins tall, medium build with hazel/ green eyes and brown hair. She speaks with a Scottish accent and has a small burn mark on her forearm and a small tattoo on her right shoulder.

She may be wearing a light blue Berghaus rain jacket, jeans and a pair of brown hi-tec walking boots.